The Dophix Nettuno is a fuzz pedal made by Dophix, a builder whose laboratory sits on the hills of Florence, Italy. It uses silicon diodes and transistors mated to a bandpass filter, and it carries three controls: Fuzz, Tone and Level. Premier Guitar's reviewer described the result as "a fuzz forte that consists almost entirely of singing, velvety-smooth violin tones (or cello, if you tune down)"1.
The pedal sits in a small silver enclosure, and it has one visual signature: a circuit-board-mounted LED shines a halo of white around the foot of the enclosure whenever the pedal is powered up with an input connected. That light is not part of the tone circuit1.
The controls: Fuzz, Tone and Level
The Nettuno keeps its panel to three knobs, and reviewers found that enough. Pedal of the Day wrote that "Fuzz, Tone and Level do their jobs quite nicely, creating a nice spectrum of dirt sounds to work with"3.
| Control | What it does |
|---|---|
| Fuzz (Gain) | Sets the amount of saturation; Delicious Audio notes the pedal has a wide gain range, with large and defined distortions usable up to solos with dynamic sustain2 |
| Tone | Shapes the frequency balance of the fuzz |
| Level | Sets the output volume; combined adjustment of Gain and Level, per Delicious Audio, provides a mix of unique saturation and definition2 |
Premier Guitar summed up the pedal's appeal as "the straightforward simplicity of the Dophix Nettuno": gain, level and tone controls, nothing more1.
How it sounds and behaves
Dophix's own description leans into the name, which comes from the Roman god of the sea: "This singular fuzz takes us directly into a marine storm, enveloped by the violence of the waves. Strong and aggressive." The maker calls it a fuzz with a wide gain range, ideal in loudness with large and defined distortions, up to use in solos with dynamic sustain2.
Premier Guitar's 2023 quick-hit review found the opposite temperament in practice, with singing, velvety-smooth violin tones, or cello tones if you tune down. Among the pros the reviewer listed: "Easy to dial in lovely, singing violin tones. Cleans up well with guitar-knob volume tweaks." That cleanup with the guitar's volume knob is a behavior many players look for in a fuzz, and the reviewer confirmed the Nettuno has it1.
"If you're on the hunt for a fuzz with distinguished character, along with a warm and defined sound, the Nettuno Fuzz is"
History: a fuzz from Florence, Italy
Dophix is an Italian builder. The company's own pages describe a laboratory on the hills of Florence, and in a 2022 Premier Guitar demo video the team said, "We started project in Italy in Florence, Firenze"4. The Nettuno is built in Florence1.
The pedal followed two earlier Dophix releases. Pedal of the Day described it in December 2020 as the maker's latest offering, following the Michelangelo and David pedals, "taking it up a notch or two"3. Delicious Audio had already covered the Nettuno in August 2018, introducing it as a fuzz from the Italian manufacturer whose name and sound is inspired by the powerful god of the sea2. Dophix has since expanded its fuzz line with pedals such as the Dophix Medici More Fuzz.
Price
Premier Guitar listed the Nettuno's street price at $200 in its 2023 review1. A 2022 Premier Guitar demo video gave the price as 299.99 USD, so the two sources disagree on the figure4. Dophix's own product page lists shipping costs of €10 to Italy and €30 to the EU5.
The two published prices differ: $200 street (Premier Guitar, 2023) and 299.99 USD (Premier Guitar demo video, 2022). Neither figure is a current maker's list price.
Videos
DOPHIX
The GasTube
Mike Hermans
Questions
Is the Dophix Nettuno true bypass?
Yes. Dophix describes the Nettuno as using a true bypass switch, along with carbon paste resistors, as one of the specific choices made for the standard of its pedals. When it is off, your signal passes through without the pedal in the way.
Does the Dophix Nettuno clean up with the guitar volume knob?
Yes. Premier Guitar's reviewer listed cleaning up well with guitar-knob volume tweaks among the pedal's pros, so rolling back your guitar's volume backs the fuzz off rather than staying at full saturation.
How much does the Dophix Nettuno cost?
Premier Guitar listed the street price at $200 in its 2023 review. A 2022 Premier Guitar demo video gave the price as 299.99 USD, so the figures from the two sources differ. Dophix's own page lists shipping of €10 to Italy and €30 to the EU.
What is the light under the Dophix Nettuno?
A circuit-board-mounted LED shines a halo of white around the foot of the enclosure whenever the pedal is powered up with an input connected. It is not part of the tone circuit; it is a visual feature of the build.
Sources (5)
- Quick Hit: Dophix Nettuno Review, Premier Guitar, 2018-12-17
- Dophix Nettuno Fuzz, Delicious Audio, 2018-08-30
- Dophix Nettuno Fuzz, Pedal of the Day, 2020-12-14
- Dophix Galileo, Michelangelo, Dante, Nettuno, David, Perseo, Leonardo & Vitruviano Demos, Premier Guitar, 2022-06-05
- NETTUNO fuzz, Dophix
